Insatiable (2 page)

****

“That didn’t go over so well.”

Jonas frowned. He could hear the smugness in Carly’s tone but didn’t look her way. Instead he kept his narrowed gaze on the disappearing figure of Ava Peters.

“Clearly,” he replied at last, his tone wry.

“You’ll forget her, of course?”

“Not a chance,” he replied, as he watched Ava exit the ballroom, his last glimpse of her being the gorgeous swaying roundness of her curvy bottom. He felt the beast in him rise to the surface. The pleasure of holding her soft, curvy body close in his arms had him wanting her more than ever. In fact, at this point he was ready to do whatever it took to get the luscious Ava in his clutches—and in his bed.

He faced his assistant at last, his eyes gleaming with intent. “I just have to make her an offer she can’t refuse.”

Carly sigh deeply, and he heard the resigned note in her voice as she asked, “Dare I ask what it is you have planned?”

****

Ava couldn’t think of last night without shuddering—especially when she’d been so close to making the biggest mistake of her life. The instant attraction, the burn of desire. It had fizzled in a heartbeat when she’d found out his name.
Jonas Marks.

To think of how thrilling it had felt to be held in his strong embrace, swept up in a dance, the burn of undeniable lust burning between them. She’d looked into his eyes and had known; he had but to say the word, and she would do anything that he asked of her. Those wicked thoughts had been so unlike her, totally different from the woman Ava really was, or at least thought she was. Now she wasn’t so sure. But in the few moments that she had with Jonas, as briefly as it had lasted, she had known true, unquestionable desire.

It was a good thing then that she had been flung back down to earth just in time. Her father—her brother too—would have been heartbroken if they heard that not only had she been dancing with Jonas, she had also been willing to go beyond that.
Very willing
. And he hadn’t even had to work hard to seduce her.

She found herself staring at a recent cover of
Time
magazine. Ever since that night she’d been digging, trying to unearth all that she could on Jonas Marks. Prior to now, she’d had no interest in knowing anything about the man who’d hurt her family so badly—virtually destroying her father, yet now she couldn’t help herself—she had to know everything there was. She thought back to where she was when it had happened. Her father had called to tell her that he’d lost everything: the properties, the family business, everything he had spent his entire life working for.

That was more than a year ago and they were still struggling to recover from the loss. Wasn’t that why she’d agreed to go to the fundraiser that night? In a show of solidarity, she’d accompanied her brother, had even allowed him to foist her onto that creepy man, the financial consultant whiz who was in the position of helping them get back on their feet.

All that had been quickly forgotten the moment she set eyes on the handsome, dark-haired stranger. Only to discover he was the very snake in the grass, the one solely responsible for everything that had happened.

She stared down at the magazine cover, seeing those same aquamarine eyes, those beautifully sculpted lips, the square jaw and that finely structured nose. The rich and powerful Bust-up Billionaire, Jonas Marks. He lived true to his name—crushed rivals and peers with the same ruthless hardness. He was as implacable as granite, and as immovable as a rock. How could she for one second believe herself attracted to him? How could she have allowed herself to feel such raw, intense desire for such a monster?

She shuddered, thankful that Jeffrey hadn’t witnessed her in the arms of the man he despised so much. Just the mention of Jonas Marks’s name was enough to make Jeffrey seethe with uncontrollable rage. And only that very morning, he’d vented his terrible temper on her.

“Why did you do it?”

Ava had turned to face him, her face burning with guilt.
Had he found out?
she’d wondered frantically. Had he somehow discovered her almost-lapse with the ruthless Jonas Marks?

“All you had to do was be nice to him,” he’d growled, referring to Kirk. “He’s a good guy, one of the few who were willing to help us out of this mess. And you just had to offend him, didn’t you?”

“Jeff, it wasn’t like I meant to offend him,” she’d replied with a sigh. “Someone else asked me to dance, that’s all. I would have returned to him.”

“You selfish brat,” he’d replied coldly, eyes narrowing down at her. “All you think about is what’s best for you. You never cared about what happened, it never bothered you that Dad lost control of the company he’d spent almost all of his life building. When Mom died years ago, the company became his life, it was everything to him. All I asked was for you to do one simple thing, be nice to a prospective financier, and you blew it.” His expression darkened. “Kirk is not even taking my calls now. He’s not interested in hearing any of my proposals. Way to go. You’ve been a great help, as always.”

“But what had you expected of me? Why do I have to be offered up like a…a vestal sacrifice just so you could get what you want?”

“Not what I want,” Jeffrey bit out, his eyes hardening, “but what’s best for the family. If we can get back on track, then Dad can come home, piece his life back together. The takeover of the company broke him, Ava. You know that. And it’s the only thing that can bring him back.”

With that, he’d shaken his head exasperatedly at her, and then swiveled around to leave the room.

“I’m sorry, Jeff,” she said quietly, and he turned around with a look that cut through her heart.

“That’s just not good enough,” was his soft reply, and then he was gone.

****

Ava couldn’t help staring at the face on the cover page. He was the sexiest—and most dangerous—man she’d ever met. And they’d danced, flirted…his eyes had blazed with a dark heat she’d been powerless to ignore. No man had ever looked at her like that. It had thrilled yet frightened her—terrified her to know that she had felt the very same. She’d been open to anything he had in mind.

And she wondered…if she hadn’t been so rash and quick to damn him, could she have used his obvious attraction to her to her advantage? He’d desired her; she could feel it coming across in waves. If she’d had any kind of sense, she could have used it as leverage of some sort.

Ava couldn’t help but laugh at herself. What did she know about leverage or manipulation? What did she know about men at all, for that matter? She was only twenty-five, not exactly innocent, but far from experienced when it came to the opposite sex. She didn’t even have a boyfriend. Not recently, anyway. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d been on a real date.

Ava had given up caring years ago about what others thought or said about her. She was satisfied with her looks; she loved her full figure, and made sure she stayed fit and healthy without sacrifice. She loved herself just as she was, down to every last curve, and she wasn’t willing to change for anyone.

She thought about being in Jonas’s arms and shivered at just how weightless she had felt in his strong embrace, as if he could carry her to the heavens and back without breaking a sweat. He was powerful, confident and had a possession in the way he gripped her waist and guided her around the dance floor that left her breathless, anxious to go wherever he dared take her. If she were honest with herself she’d have to admit that if he weren’t the one responsible for her family’s loss she would want to see him again. In fact, she’d be counting the days until she could once again feel the scalding heat of his touch and be captivated by the intense hunger that flickered in the blue depths of his eyes.

Well, that could never happen again. Now that she knew who he was, she would never allow herself to feel anything but hatred for the man. She turned from the window, started by the sudden ringing of the phone. It was Heather, her secretary.

 “There’s a Carly Johnson here to see you. Should I let her in?”

The name didn’t sound familiar, and Ava frowned. “Just what does she want?”

“She says she’s here on a private matter.” Heather paused, then added, “She’s Jonas Marks’s personal assistant.”

Ava felt her pulse quicken, her blood pressure rising, and struggled to calm the unsteady beat in her chest.
What the hell could Jonas’s assistant want with her?

“Send her in, Heather. Thank you.”

Ava was seated behind her desk when the woman came into her office. She was lovely, slim and efficient-looking. She had a small smile on her face as she held a folder in her hand. Ava took note of the wedding finger on her left hand and wondered why she would be conscious of a detail like that. Jonas Marks had a very pretty, attractive-looking female personal assistant—who was married. For some reason, that seemed like an interesting point to ponder.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet me, Miss Peters.” Carly smiled as she took a seat across from Ava.

“What can I do for you?”

“I’m here to make an offer…and to discuss terms.”

“An offer? I have no interest in any offer from Jonas Marks.”

Carly’s eyes fell to the magazine placed on the desk in front of her, her smile curving when she saw the face on the cover. And then she looked up shrewdly at Ava, who had followed her gaze and whose cheeks were suddenly flushed in a crimson red.

“For some reason, Miss Peters, I think you do…”

****

“Hello, Ava.”

He was standing there, at the table in the very prestigious restaurant, a slant in his smile. Ava took one look at him and felt an unfamiliar pang. He looked no less handsome than that first night they’d met. If anything, he seemed all the more lethal now that there weren’t so many distractions around them, just the few other patrons in the quaint restaurant.

“Jonas.” She nodded slightly in return, clutching her small purse in front of her.

“You look ravishing,” he said deeply, his eyes never leaving hers for a moment.

She was suddenly aware that she was trembling. Why did she feel so many mixed emotions when he looked at her that way? She wanted…needed, to resist him. She wasn’t even supposed to be here. She couldn’t let her ridiculous attraction to him get in the way of what she was meant to do.

“Thank you.” She quickly accepted the seat pulled out by the hovering waiter. She remembered her vow back at the office when she’d agreed to meet him. Her plan was to come, listen to what he had to say, and then leave. There was no harm, she’d decided, in hearing him out.

Some minutes later, their orders made, his piercing, darkly gleaming eyes speared Ava once more.

“I wasn’t quite sure, until I saw you walk in just now, that you’d even show up. I must confess, I’m very pleased you did.”

“Your assistant was very…convincing,” Ava growled, taking a sip of her wine as she fought to ignore the butterflies that fluttered in her belly. She quelled herself to lift her eyes to hold his gaze again. “I’m here only because I was told that you had an interest in returning my family’s company back to my father.”

He shrugged. “I wouldn’t make the offer if I didn’t mean it, Ava. I don’t make empty promises.”

“But why would you do that? Why would you even want to?”

She couldn’t keep the confusion from her tone, and saw him smile.

“Why? Do you really need to ask?” His smile widened as her discomfort increased, her neck flushing. His eyes scanned her swiftly, and it was like a laser passing over her skin.

“Because I want you,” he said simply, shrugging. “From the first moment I set eyes on you, I knew that I wanted you.”

Ava felt a wave of heat roll up her spine at his words of desire, and she looked away nervously. “And what does that have anything to do with my father’s company? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Don’t worry about that. It makes perfect sense to me.”

His fingers were drumming lightly on the tablecloth, and Ava felt her eyes unable to shift from his intense gaze. Every word seemed to scald into her senses like hot wax.

“So you’re trying to buy me, is that it? My body in exchange for the company.” Ava struggled to hide the turmoil that twisted in her belly, but she nearly spat out her disgust. “How dare you think I can be bought?”

“I don’t want to buy anything,” he replied, his eyes narrowing. “It’s about give and take.”

He took a sip of his wine, his eyes never leaving hers and she shivered. It was clear that Jonas Marks was manipulative and calculating—even in matters that had nothing to do with business. Here he was, casually asking her to give him her body in exchange for returning her father’s company.

“Oh, I do understand. Perfectly,” she replied at last. “You think that because you have money and power, you can buy anything you want…including me. You know I’m desperate, and you know that I’d do anything to return to my father what is rightfully his.”

There was a devious glint in his eye that took her breath away and she growled at how her body was betraying her.

“Ava, this has absolutely nothing to do with buying anything, but yes, it does have a lot to do with desperation. We both are very desperate…for each other. If I remember correctly, it wasn’t long ago that you were melting in my arms.” His lips tilted slightly into a teasing smile.

“Tell yourself whatever makes you feel better,” she murmured. She raised her glass of wine to her lips, noting the slight tremble in her fingers. Damn it! How could she let him get to her this way? She could keep fighting him, pretending that she felt nothing but disgust for the man, but she knew in her heart she was no match for the hunger that she felt. The desire that she knew was evident by the way she smiled, unable to take her eyes from his chiseled, handsome face. Perhaps it was time she stopped thinking she could beat him at a game of seduction that she knew she was desperately losing.

“It was a mistake to come here,” she mumbled, setting down the glass and reaching for her purse.

“Your father hasn’t been well, has he?” Jonas asked in an unhurried tone, making her pause. His eyes were downcast, his expression veiled by his dark, enviously thick lashes. “From what I hear, he’s taken an extended holiday somewhere in Rio de Janeiro. He took the loss of the company very hard, I must imagine. And then there’s your brother, well meaning but still very misguided. Trying to find ways to set things right but lacking the capital to do so.”